


You Cant Outrun The Past

by FullmetalHit_0



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Eventual Fluff, Eventual Smut, Loss of Limbs, M/M, OCs for plot purposes - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow burn....kinda, Tags May Change, descriptions of domestic abuse, eventual straight up abuse.. but not to bad..., rated for later chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2019-01-29 19:50:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12637983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FullmetalHit_0/pseuds/FullmetalHit_0
Summary: Jamie has turned his life around and will stop at nothing to make sure that doesn't change, but faces from the past are gonna make that a hell of a lot harder....





	1. The Fawkes Den

**Author's Note:**

> heya! Im super excited to unleash this into the world! "Go free my Child!" This is an AU, other Overwatch characters are in this fic and I will do my best to give them canon personalities but that’s really the only canonical thing about this fic. I've been brainstorming this forever and now its finally happening!!! I really hope you enjoy!!! Any-who enough drabble…. LET’S DO THIS!

Damn it was cold, but the young man trudged on. He lived no further than a block from the place but in the middle of winter it felt like miles.  He was bundled in a much too thin jacket and scarf and even though he wore a long sleeve button up underneath it, the fabric was doing little to keep the sharp air from his skin. His freckled cheeks and pointed nose were bright red from the assault. His shoulders were hunched as he curled in on himself, doing the best he could to shield his thin body from the freezing air.  He shoved his now numb fingers of his single still flesh and blood arm in his pocket and cursed at himself for forgetting his glove. The orange fingers of his other Prosthetic arm gripped at the edges of his jacket keeping it closed against the breeze. The thick snow was beginning to soak his pant legs as he rounded the last corner. His destination was within eye shot now. He smiled and picked up his pace. He reached for his keys, pulling them from his back pocket as he reached the door. It was no later than 5:15am but he had a lot to do before opening at 8am. He pushed the key into the lock and opened the door as fast as he could, desperate to get out of the cold. He pushed inside and immediately closed the door behind him. He smiled and closed his bright amber eyes as the warm familiar air engulfed him.

The small building wasn’t much but it had a lot of memories, most of them happy and filled with smiles. He didn’t care to think about the not so great ones. He unbundled himself as he walked across the wood floor to the door next to the bar. He stepped into the backroom and headed toward the office in the corner. He used the same keys as before to unlock the door and stepped inside. He hung his jacket and scarf on the rack before taking a seat at the large desk in the center and stared at the piles of papers before him.

“Fuck....” he muttered before taking a breath, running his fingers through his combed back blond hair and getting to work.

He had to get orders in before they opened and had to look over scheduling and payroll. He was supposed to do all this yesterday but had ended up distracted when business had unexpectedly picked up and he was pulled upfront.  He pulled open the top drawer and removed a small black case. He flipped it open, pulling out the black thick rimmed glasses and slipping them onto his nose. He let out another sigh and got to work.

A couple hours or so had passed by the time his attention was pulled away from the computer. He heard the door click open then shut before a familiar voice shouted out.

“Jamie? You here I assume?”

He looked up just in time to see a young woman step into the office. She was no older than 20, she had a very thin frame and was far shorter than him. She had her brown hair pulled into a pony tail, letting only her bangs hang free. She threw her coat, scarf and hat, all pink, on the rack to join Jamie’s before turning her attention to the man behind the desk. She smiled at the sight.

“I never get sick of seeing you with your glasses on! You look so handsome! You should wear them all the time!” She giggled.

“Ya, no. They hurt my nose and are you implying I don’t look handsome without them Hana?!”

He faked insult in his tone before smiling at the young lady giggling in front of him.  She had taken a seat in one of the few chairs of several that weren’t cluttered that lined the walls.

“Jamie it’s a disaster in here! When is Ana getting back? You are clearly lost without her.”  She motioned at the piles of papers and unorganized cabinets that cluttered the room.

“I am completely capable of handling things on my own excuse you.” He  stood up from his seat and glared down at Hana who was simply smiling up at him.

“Besides I- “

 He was quickly cut off as the mechanical hand he had placed on a stack of papers near the edge of the desk slipped from beneath him and he plummeted to the floor. Hana burst out laughing. The scene of her boss a tangled mess of long limbs on the floor bringing tears to her eyes.

“Ok… maybe I do need Ana.” He groaned as he sat up.

“She should be back in a week or so.”

He started picking up the mess he had made before he glanced up at Hana who had stopped laughing. She was now on her phone and he could hear the faint noises from the game she was always playing from its small speakers. Hana was sweet girl and very much like a little sister to him. They had grown up together, her dad being co-owners and best friends with his. It also didn’t hurt that she was cute and willing to flirt to bring in business and tips, but she was nothing short of infuriating at times. He was constantly getting after her for being on her phone and ignoring customers and truth be told he probably would have fired her a long time ago, but he didn’t as a favor to her dad. He owed a lot to that man and didn’t want to do anything to upset him.

“Hey, I ain’t Payin’ ya to play your games! Go check on the front, there are tables and chairs that need to be set up, bars that need to be wiped down! Hop to it Kid!”

She huffed at him but did as she was told.

“Kid? You’re 25! Barely older than I am!” She said as she stood up and left the room.

Jamie stood himself and placed the collected papers back on the desk. He pulled the glasses from his face and rubbed his eyes. It was monotonous times like this that made him miss the life he had had before. Never enough to go back though. He had promises to keep, and he did genuinely enjoy the company and friends that this place held for him. Besides he usually had Ana for all this boring stuff. She was an older woman and had been around for as long as he could remember, taking care of him when he was small and would come to work with his dad. She was always so sweet and never failed to bring a smile to his face, even during the hardest times. Her arms were never far when he was angry or sad and when he had left, leaving her was the hardest.

 He shook off the bad memories before returning to his computer to finish what had been interrupted. He had been almost done when Hana had walked in and all he had left to do was to finalize orders. He clicked the screen a couple more times and typed in a quick note before shutting off the screen and standing up. He popped his back, he really needed to work on his slouch, and checked the time. 7:33am, He would open soon and shortly after the few regulars would start shuffling in from the cold. He walked up front and looked around. The place had hardly changed in years, the big bar and shelves full of every kind of alcohol imaginable up against the far-left wall, stools along the length of it. Worn red leather booths lined the others, and a spattering of tables spread across the floor. The rest of the place was pretty basic, in one corner sat a small stage for when people would perform, and coat racks near the front door that customers could use as they pleased. The front of the building was lined with big windows and above that in big letters was the bars name. The Fawkes Den. His Father and his Business partner and best friend had though it was hilarious, they were such dads sometimes. Jamie laughed to himself as he finished scanning the room. Hana had finished setting up the tables, and had started the coffee pots. She was now leaning against the counter, her face back in her phone. Jamie sighed. At least she had finished mostly everything that needed to be done. All that was left was to get the small tv in the far corner above the bar switched on and the open sign lit up.

The day continued as normal. It was around 2pm now and his regular customers and newcomers were still coming and going, and everything was going as it usually did. He would chit chat with the older guests and laugh at their bad jokes and cliché “my wife is crazy” stories. He really did enjoy this part of his job. Catching up with people he had known forever and others he had met not long ago but already called friends.

“Hey Kid, let’s get a couple beers over here!” An older man shouted at Jamie.

“Coming up in a jiff.” he called back before heading behind the bar to fill the order.

He was filling the glasses when he heard the crash. He jumped in surprise and the glass half-filled dropped to the floor from his grip and broke, adding to the sound of broken glass. There were gasps across the room from people who were just as surprised as he had been. He looked toward the source, one of the windows in the front of the building had been smashed. Its glass scattered across the floor and onto a nearby table. Thankfully no one had been sitting there.  He quickly stopped what he was doing, wiped his hands on the black apron tied at his thin waist and ran to the door.  He flung it open and stepped outside just in time to see two people running away from the scene. His breath hitched as the very distinct logo on their jackets caught his eye. A painted yellow smiley face with X’s for eyes. Its grin mocking him as he watched it disappear in the distance. He gritted his teeth. Way too many emotions rushing through his skull. He had so many questions. Why now? What brought this on? Was it a deliberate attack on him or just a mere coincidence? There were so many things rushing through his brain, but he managed to take a deep breath and pushed them aside before getting back to the matter at hand. He stepped back into the building and closed the door.

“Sorry folks. Ill get this cleaned up right away. You go ahead and get back to your drinks the next round is on the house.”

He gave them a smile before stepping to a small closet to grab a broom. All the while he cleaned, the customers voices rang through his head. They gossiped about the attack, how bad they felt for Jamie, how random this attack had been and how "they” didn’t usually bother the people all the way over on this side of town. But one particular conversation made his breath catch in his throat and tears damn near well in his eyes.

“I’m just glad we don’t see _him_ anymore.” One man said

“He was the worst of the whole Mayhem gang, those bombs of his could level buildings!” another chimed in.

“And that Rat mask he wore? It right gave me the creeps! I hope he is rotting in prison!” a final woman chimed in.

Jamie shakily let out the breath he was holding and quickly finished his cleaning. He dumped the glass in the trash, handed the broom off to Hana and went to his office, closing the door behind him. He leaned back against the door, his breath heavy as he tried his hardest to not have a panic attack. He kept telling himself no one knew, no one knew, no one knew. He repeated the phrase over and over till eventually he could gather himself. He took one more deep breath, gathered a couple things to temporarily fix the window and keep the cold out before putting on one of his best fake smiles and stepping back into the public area of the bar.

“Jeez Jamie! What happened here!?” A familiar figure stood near the broken window, his coat still on his shoulders.

In the rush of things, he hadn’t heard him come in. The man that was a little older but still shorter than him, most everyone was when you were 6,5, had turned to face him as he walked up. He had shoulder length brown hair and atop his head was a hat that no matter how much Jamie begged he never didn’t wear. “This here hat is as much part of me as my own lungs!” he would say and eventually Jamie just gave up.  It didn’t matter much anyway, Ana was the one that told him it was unprofessional and that he should say something to the guy. He had out of respect, but he knew this place was far from professional and he liked it that way, and even though she denied it he knew Ana didn’t really mind either.

“Oh, Hey Jesse, I didn’t realize it was late enough for your shift already.” Jamie walked over to him and Jesse placed a hand on his shoulder.

“So? What happened?” Jesse repeated

“It was the Mayhem, they threw a brick through the window, bout made me shit myself as well as most everyone else here.” He gestured to the patrons who had almost all forgotten about the whole ordeal already.

“Holy cow! Really? All the way in these parts? What’s all that about? You didn’t do anything to piss em’ off did ya?” Jesse nudged Jamie’s arm with his elbow and laughed.

“I hardly know anything about em, how would I have done anything? Now go put your coat away and come help me with this.” Jamie smiled through his entire lie and waved Jesse off who just smiled back before stepping away to do what was asked of him.

Jamie sighed, he hoped he hadn’t done anything to put him back on their radar, but he knew how unpredictable and random they were. There was no telling what was really going on. He began unrolling the plastic sheeting, his mind still running over every scenario that could have led to today’s events before it was cut off by an unfamiliar voice behind him.

“I can help you with that.” It said

“Ah, nah mate, that’s ok, Thank you bu-” Jamie spun around mid-sentence to address the speaker but was immediately cut off by the sight of who the voice had come from. His mind went blank as he processed what was standing in front of him. He was an older man, probably in his 40s and boy was he huge! Jamie actually had to look UP at him. He had a round face decorated with scars and large canine like teeth that stuck up from his plump lips. His nose was round, and his eye brows were nearly as wild as Jamie’s. Beneath them were the most gorgeous blue eyes he had ever seen in his life. He had long white hair tied back into a pony tail that sat high on the man’s giant head. He had an equally giant body, standing at no less than 7 feet tall and had the girth to match. He was wearing a green plaid button up shirt and jeans that Jamie could probably disappear in.  
“Um... Hello? You need help or not?” He asked again.

Jamie was snapped out of his daze and stared back into those blue eyes. He cleared his throat suddenly and desperately needing a glass of water.

“Oh… Umm... Sure, th... thank you.” Jamie mumbled and suddenly the huge hands of the man in front of him were grabbing the plastic from him and holding it up to the broken window.

Jamie grabbed the tape and followed the man’s hands, taping down anywhere he stopped or air was still getting in. They were interrupted a couple times by some of the guys saying that they needed refills and without even looking from the work he was doing on the window Jamie would yell out to his waitress.

“Hana get off your phone and do your job please!” he would be met with a grumble, but the job got done each time.

 When they were done he thanked the man who had simply grunted and started walking away back to his seat.

“Hey! How bout I get you a drink on the house as a thank you for helping me!” Jamie blurted out. 

               The man stopped and looked back at the blond. He seemed as though he was thinking it over before he simply nodded and followed the younger man to the bar. He sat down in one of the stools and Jamie was surprised it didn’t break from how large this man was. He wasn’t being rude but between the huge muscles covering his arms and no doubt the rest of his body and that gut he was sporting he knew this man was by far the biggest and heaviest person to ever be served in this establishment. 

“So, what would you like? Anything you want, it’s on me!” Jamie smiled a big toothy smile and the light from one of the lamps glinted of his single gold tooth catching the man’s gaze for a split second.

“This?” He said with a laugh, pointing to the shiny tooth “A trophy from one of my better fights. I may have lost a tooth, but the other guy lost more!” he laughed a nervous hyena type laugh at the realization that his awkward and completely unprompted story had earned no response from the man.

“So…” he cleared his throat again, that parched feeling enveloping him again. “Whiskey ok?” The man nodded, and Jamie quickly got to work on the beverage, desperate to break the tension that was quickly growing between them. He finished the simple drink and placed it in front of the large man.

“So, umm… you gotta name? I’d like to thank you properly.” Jamie asked

“Mako.” The man’s quick response caught Jamie a little off guard, after all the man had been silent since asking if he needed help.

“Well, Mako, thank you for your help! I really appreciate it.” He smiled another big smile and chuckled a little.

Mako simply grunted again and took another sip of his drink. Jamie huffed at the lack of a response and fell silent. He let his gaze fall from the stranger he now knew was named Mako and his mind began to wander as he busied himself with whatever he could get his fidgety fingers on. He eventually grabbed a glass and started wiping it down absent mindedly, his eyes shifted through his surroundings till they found something to settle on. He noticed that someone had cleaned up the mess of broken glass and beer he had made behind the bar and forgotten about in the rush of things and noted that he had to thank most likely Jesse later and with that thought Jamie remembered he had a business to run and looked around for his employees.

 There was no sign of Hana of course but Jesse stood behind the bar, flirting with a couple of ladies and mixing their fruity drinks. he spoke to them in that smooth southern drawl that never failed to get the girls writhing in their seats and leaving him very nice tips. It also didn’t hurt that he was a very handsome man. His brown eyes and stubbled chin, paired with his very muscular frame had every lady he came across melting. What would his boyfriend think if he saw the way he acted at work? Jamie must have laughed out loud because soon after the thought left his brain Jesse had spoken to him.

“You alright man?” he said a confused look on his face.

Jamie now very embarrassed, just waved him off and returned his attention back to the glass that was now practically invisible he had been polishing it so hard. Mako simply continued sipping his drink and Jamie continued to stand there uncomfortably, several thoughts buzzing about as the silence continued unbroken. How did he not notice this monster of a man earlier? Had he come in around the same time as Jesse while he was in the back? Jeez how long was he back there? Jamie’s mind still wandered until a question in that deep voice jogged him from his thoughts.

 “You lose that in a fight to?”

“Huh?” was all Jamie managed in response before he noticed Mako was pointing at his prosthetic arm.

“Oh! This?” he said with a laugh as he held up the orange mechanical fingers.

“Nah, this was my own fault. Had a bad accident a few years back, but hey got a cool arm out of it! I actually built this myself!” Mako raised an eyebrow at that, seemingly a little impressed by the younger man’s work and Jamie had noticed, he was starting to get excited and in turn began rambling to the man who now seemed at least a little interested in what he had to say.

“I used to be a rowdy little fucker before I got this place. Used to cause all kinds of commotion!” He let out a shrill laugh before stopping short. He was getting to riled up and had to change the subject quickly before he said something he shouldn’t.

“Enough about me though, where did you come from? I ain’t seen ya around here before and I figure that’s because you just got here, can’t imagine a big guy like you being easy to miss.” He kept a wide smile across his lips as he poked Mako in the belly.

               Mako glared a bit at Jamie and the sudden intrusion of his personal space by that metal finger but the look faltered at the sight of that ridiculous wide grin still spread on the kids face.

"Ya, I just moved into town earlier this week, came here to relax after my retirement.” Mako spoke soft, every ounce of his earlier annoyance being melted away by the crazy smile of the hyperactive young man fidgeting in front of him.

“Retirement huh?” Jamie said “Ya don’t seem old enough to retire to me but what do I know, what did ya retire from if you don’t mind me askin’?” In truth Mako did mind but he couldn’t stop himself from answering Jamie’s question.

“I did a lot of protection work, personal protection, security, and stuff like that. Ended up with some loaded clients and was able to retire early.” Mako was amazed at how freely his words left him, what was this kid doing to him. He had to stop.

“Security huh? Interesting.” Jamie’s gears began to whirl again as he processed this information. Some type of security would come in handy if today’s attack ended up not being as random as he had hoped it would.

“Would yo-” Jamie was cut off as quickly as he had begun.

“Anyway, thanks for the drink, I better get going.” And with that Mako left his seat and headed toward the door.

 Jamie simply watched the large man leave the bar. He wanted to stop him but who was he to get involved in this man’s life. So, he stayed quiet and simply started at the now closed door.

He eventually tore his gaze away and headed to the back. The bar had calmed down enough that he felt Jesse could handle it on his own, he now vaguely remembering that Hana had finished her shift about an hour after Jesse had started his. It was just the two of them and a couple customers in the building now and Jamie kind of felt like a Jerk for leaving Jesse on his own, but he needed to think over the events of today and call someone to fix that window.


	2. Things may be looking up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Granny hugs make even the worst situations so much better....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nother chapter comin at you! hahaha! please enjoy! also much thanks to my cheerleader and beta! WodensSkadi Check out her ongoing roadrat story as well! ITS AMAZING!

It had been a couple weeks since the first attack. Turns out it wasn’t as random as Jamie had hoped as they hadn’t really slowed down since. Jamie had come to the bar early in the mornings to tags covering his front door and windows on several days since. Those same yellow smileys staring into his being and bringing up so many things he had tried to keep buried. Today wasn’t any different. He stepped up to the building and sighed. He was greeted by the faint smell of drying paint and in big decorative letters the words, “midtown mayhem” scrawled across the front of the building.  Jamie clenched his jaw and grabbed at his keys to unlock the door. He stepped inside and trudged toward the closet to grab a scrub brush and a bucket to fill with water and cleaning solution before stepping back out into the cold to start scrubbing.

               Jamie had started coming in a couple hours earlier due to his morning routine suddenly and involuntarily being altered. Now instead of coming in around five and spending the hours till opening doing paperwork or maintenance, he was coming in closer to three and spending the first few hours cleaning up the “art” that was always waiting for him. It was wreaking havoc on his sleep schedule and the lack of rest was starting to make him irritable and cranky. His fuse was getting shorter and shorter and he was now closing himself in his office more and more often. His staff had noticed and had tried to help but what do you do for someone whose life was being turned upside down? They would offer to help in any way they could, coming in early or staying late, letting Jamie take power naps when the bar was in its slow hours, but it was only a band aid for the whole situation and they didn’t really know what else to do. The cops being brought in or involved had been mentioned a few times, but each time Jamie would very quickly shut down the idea saying he could handle things on his own, and he was, more or less anyway.

               Jamie kept at his scrubbing, it was getting closer to six now and he was halfway through the second word. His face may have been frozen from the cold, but his blood was boiling. He was furious, he had been left to nothing but his thought for far too long and it was destroying his already exhausted mental state. Why wouldn’t they leave him alone?! Why were they suddenly coming after him again after so many years?! The questions echoed through his brain and, his scrubbing began to grow erratic as his racing mind failed to find the answers he desperately wanted. He hadn’t even realized he had started crying till he was screaming out at the top of his lungs, the sudden noise shattering the silence around him and bringing him to his knees in the cold snow. He threw the scrubber to the ground and brought his hands to his face. He wiped away his tears before letting his limbs fall limp to his sides and his head loll back to stare at the sky in defeat.

“Please… Please Just leave me alone….” Jamie spoke to the empty street, or so he thought.

               Not a few second after his out bursts a voice called to him from not too far down the street.

“Jamison!?”

Jamie turned his head and watched the person swiftly walk closer to him. His blurry wet eyes were struggling to focus on the figure but as soon as they managed to do so more tears erupted from them.

“A..Ana?” He choked.

“Oh, Jamison, sweetie what are you doing on the ground?!” She asked as she knelt beside him.

               Jamie simply buried his face in her shoulder and wept, he was so relieved to have her back, it had only been a few weeks, but he really was lost without her. She was his stability, his rock and her being gone during this time had been rough to say the least. His sobs continued as they sat on the cold wet ground and Ana didn’t budge, she held him tight, running her slender fingers over his back and through his hair. Whispering to him that she was here, and everything would be ok, she didn’t even know what was going on, but she would stop at nothing to make that the truth.

               The blonds’ sobs had started to slow, and Ana had taken the opportunity to try and get them off the cold ground and inside.

“Jamie, sweetheart, let’s go inside your clothes are soaked and you are going to catch your death if you stay out here any longer.”

“I… I have to finish cleaning this up...” He responded, speaking low.

               Ana looked at her phone for the time, It was close to seven now. Which meant one of the employees would be there at any moment.

“One of the boys will be here soon, I’ll send them out to finish this, now please, let’s go inside Jamison.”

               He reluctantly nodded, and stood before he reached out a shaky hand to open the door. Ana followed him inside and directed him to the back office to take a seat.

“I’m going to go get some coffee started and when I get back I want you to tell me everything. I don’t want you to carry this on your own anymore. I am here to help in any way I can.” And with that she left the room.

               Jamie leaned back in his chair, simply knowing Ana was there and he had someone he could talk to, showered him with relief. He managed to take his first steady breath all morning and closed his eyes. A few moments later Ana returned to the room and handed Jamie a steaming mug of coffee before taking a seat next to him and taking a sip of her own cup of what was most likely tea. All Ana needed to do after that was look at Jamie and he told her everything. He told her about the first incident with the window and how the weeks after that were more of the same. He had mentioned Mako and how he had helped him that first day and how he still stopped by every now and again to have a drink. He also told her about how Mako used to be a security guard and how he had almost offered him a job but quickly followed it with the fact that he was retired and didn’t seem to like him very much. Jamie continued to tell her every little thing that had happened and any time he would start getting upset again all he had to do was look at her, she would smile at him and look at him with nothing but sincere concern and a genuine need to help.

“You should have called me! I would have come back early!” Ana said after being caught up.

“I wasn’t going to interrupt your vacation, you are supposed to be retired for gods sake, the least I could do is let you take vacation for however long and often as you need… Besides I have handled everything alright on my own.”

“Yup, you sure have. Sitting outside crying in the snow is completely expected behavior from someone who ‘ _Has handled everything alright on their own...’”_ she retorted with a smile.

               She definitely had a point and Jamie let a small smile slip onto his own lips before letting his gaze fall to the now cooled remaining coffee in his mug. That had been his first smile in weeks. Ana really was a miracle. He had been a wreck these last days and eventually reached his breaking point this morning but the second he looked at Ana it immediately began melting away. Maybe things could start getting better now. Soon after that thought there was a sound from the front and a man’s voice rang through the building, pulling both he and Ana from their silence.

“Jamie, I’m here. Are you in the office?” the man spoke in a distinct but understandable Japanese accent.

               Jamie and Ana both looked to the door as the young man stepped in, He stood at about 5,7 and had a thinner build, but every inch was covered in toned sharp muscle. He had short black hair spiked into a messy style and bright grayish blue eyes that shone from beneath thick brows. He wore a semi tight black tee shirt and jeans that hugged his muscular legs. He fit right in with the rest of the unusually attractive staff, no wonder everyone thought Jamie had a type.

“Hey, what happened out front- ANA!”

 His face instantly lit up as he saw her. Jamie didn’t think there was a soul on this planet that wasn’t instantly overjoyed with her presence, well other than her enemies of course. She may be sweet and seem old and frail but getting on this woman’s bad side was like asking for a personal visit from Satan himself. He shuttered at the thought before smiling up at the new presence in the room. He and Ana were now hugging and chit chatting about her vacation back home and he felt bad for interrupting but with his head now somewhat clear and with it getting closer to opening time he knew they had to get down to business, and busying himself might keep his thoughts at bay even longer.

“Good morning Genji.” Jamie said as he stood.

               The man and Ana both turned their attention to Jamie who let a small smile creep onto his lips.

“So... Uh, should we get to work?” he still spoke softly but he was already feeling so much better than he had in days.         

“Of course.” Ana smiled at him.

               Jamie smiled back before telling them all that still needed to be done. He asked Genji if he would finish scrubbing the graffiti off the front to which Genji nodded and immediately grabbed his coat and headed out the door. Ana already knew what she needed to do and cupped Jamie’s cheek to tell him everything was going to be ok. They hugged for a moment after, Jamie reveling in her comfort and Ana happily giving it to him before Ana took a seat at the large desk and Jamie left the backroom to the bar floor.

It was all a blur as the three of them tried to do four hours of work in the twenty-five minutes before they were supposed to open but they had managed to pull it off and opened right on time. Ana was still working in the back and would continue to do so why Jamie and Genji took care of the floor. The morning into early afternoons were usually slow so Jamie had some time to fix a few things around the place, a loose cupboard or a burnt-out bulb.  It was around three pm and he was underneath one of the booths tightening the wobbly table when he felt the floor vibrate beneath him. He looked from his work just as a large set of legs stopped in front of him. He sat up and poked his head out from under the table to look up at who they belonged to, a wide and actually sincere grin spread across his face.

“Mako! Hey! Nice ta see ya mate.”

Mako stared down at the blond still sitting underneath the table in front of him and felt a small grin pull at the corners of his own lips.

“What can I get ya?” Jamie asked still on the floor and now wiping his hands on the apron he had tied around his waist.

“I dunno, what all ya got down there?” Makos grin grew a little wider.

               Jamie cackled at the sudden and unexpected joke from the man hovering over him.

“Hmm, not sure myself, shall I check?” Jamie ducked back under the table for a moment before poking his head back out.

“Fraid’ it ain’t much...” Jamie retorted before he burst out laughing.

Mako let his own barely audible laugh escape and reached out a hand to help the smaller man up. Jamie happily grabbed it and let himself be hoisted off the ground. Mako’s hand engulfed his entirely and combined with the fact it took no effort at all to all to lift him off the ground made Jamie shudder. He awkwardly smiled up at Mako once more and brushed himself off as he walked over to the bar, Mako following behind.  Jamie walked around and grabbed a bottle of Crown as Mako took a stool in front of him. This had become their routine in the past weeks since their meeting, Mako coming in hardly saying a word and Jamie talking at him while he drank the same drink Jamie would pour for him. The smaller man had yet to get an answer out of Mako when he asked what he wanted so he just continued with the classic whiskey on the rocks.

 The last few times Mako had come in were even quieter than usual. Jamie being so caught up in his thoughts he would hardly talk more than the usual, “Hello” and “What can I get ya.” Mako had definitely noticed the change in attitude so when he came in today, he was surprised to be greeted by a familiar, chipper Jamie. This had been the most conversation they had had since that first day. Mako was curious about why but was trying to convince himself not to ask, that he didn’t care. It failed.

“You seem happier, something happen?” Mako finally asked after a few minutes of just sitting and listing to Jamie ramble about whatever he was talking about.

“Hmm… That noticeable huh? I figured I had been in a bad mood for a while but I kinda hoped I managed to hide it well.” He asked back, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Not even a little bit.” Mako responded quickly before taking another sip of his drink.

“Oh… ha-ha, well, I do feel better today, though it didn’t start out that way. Was still greeted with more bullshit when I got here this morning…. But I guess I was also able to get some weight off my shoulders as well…. I dunno…”

               Jamie didn’t feel like boring Mako with his entire play by play of the day, so he made his answer relatively vague. He already felt that Mako simply tolerated him, he would come in here simply because this was probably the closest bar to where he was living and would make small talk with him because he felt obligated, he chalked up everything else to the fact that Mako seemed like a polite man and would help when he thought someone needed it. Jamie had hoped that maybe that wasn’t the case but he knew it was incredibly unlikely that it was anything but. What would a man like Mako see in him anyway. He was nothing.

“That gang is still causing you trouble huh?” Mako had noticed Jamie’s expression begin to sour as he stood there alone with his thoughts and without thinking tried to get him away from them.

“Ya, but nothing to severe…. Though I bet If a big guy like yourself was known to watch over this little tavern than maybe they would come to a stop completely...” Jamie smiled and stared at Mako, he knew nothing was likely to come of his roundabout way of offering him a job but figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least mention it. 

“Sorry Kid, I appreciate the offer but as I told you I am happily retired.” Mako said as he took the final swig of his drink and stood up.

“Ha ha, I assumed that’s what you would say but figured I’d at least ask.” Jamie smiled up at Mako, doing his best to hide his disappointment.

“Well anyway, thanks for the drink, and good luck. Hopefully they will leave you alone soon.”  Mako lingered just long enough to throw a couple bills on the table before turning and leaving the bar, leaving Jamie as usual, staring at the closed door.

               The next couple days were hit and miss, He had come in to a smaller tag on the window that was easily scraped off, followed by a couple days of much needed peace. Mako had come in one of those nights and they had talked a little. No more than their usual couple questions followed by silence. Even though very little was said between the two of them Jamie still loved to see him, he wasn’t sure Mako felt the same way, but he had kept telling himself he didn’t care. As long as he could see him, and chit chat a tad, that was enough for him. One more day of peace had passed. Jamie remembered thinking that maybe, hopefully this was it, he hadn’t given them the satisfaction of reacting, so they had given up and decided to leave him alone, but that idea was quickly shot to hell the next day.

               It was later in the evening and Jamie was actually happy, this had been his fourth peaceful day in a row and his hope was beginning to become a reality. As the day passed his anxiety about another attack faded away and by the time Mako had come in that evening the idea had all but left him. He eagerly waved the bigger man over and Mako walked over and took his usual seat at the bar across from Jamie who was beaming at him.

“You’re in a good mood today. No more vandalism?” Mako asked as he took the drink from the others hand.

“Nope! It’s been great!” Jamie all but bounced up and down as he spoke and Mako had to try really hard to keep his own smile at bay.

“Well that’s good, it’s a bummer coming in here when you’re all sulky, I definitely prefer your smile.” Mako hadn’t realized the words that had left his mouth till it was too late.

“I mean… uh… who wants to go to a place where the people aren’t happy… that’s just good business… greeting your customers with a smile…” Mako stumbled over his words, trying hard to back track and make his earlier statement less.... Flirty?

               A light embarrassed blush had crept over Makos cheeks and he did his best to hide it behind his glass. He was a god damn adult man! There is no acceptable situation for him to be acting like a teenager. Jamie had noticed though and it only intensified the heat in his own face, but he quickly turned away wanting to hide his own pink hue.

“I mean… ya… of course…. What else… umm, would you have meant? Uhh… I’ll be right back… I gotta go check on some tables….” Jamie also flustered from the sudden compliment scrabbled over his own words, making up an excuse to leave this ridiculously awkward situation.

He walked away and could feel Makos gaze never once leave him. He continued walking to the tables toward the front of the room, he could tell they were all fine and he was even sure that he had just seen Jesse over here not five minutes ago, but he needed to escape that whole interaction. He stepped up to one of the tables, greeting them and asking if they needed anything. Sure enough they didn’t and Jamie walked toward the other table across the room.

He was passing in front of the big glass windows when a loud crash filled the room followed by the glass of the window and his long hoped-for peace of mind shattering and raining down around him. He knew the lack of harassment had been too good to be true. Why would he be so lucky? He of all people knew that they would never give up so easily when they wanted something, whatever that may be. 

He barely saw the brick pass right in front of his face as he ducked away from the shards. Small pieces fell on his back and into his hair and he stayed hunched over till he no longer felt anything pelting over him. He opened his eyes, having shut them instinctively to the flying debris, and took in the scene around him. The large window was shattered, and glass scattered across the floor. He took in a deep breath trying hard to not loose his cool. He still had a building full of people around him after all. His eyes soon found focus on the brick that had been tossed and this time it was adorned with little painted symbols. One being that yellow face he was sick of seeing and the other being a small pink heart next to the word rat. His mind reeled, and his anger began boiling out of control, this would have been his breaking point once again if it wasn't for the large hand that was suddenly placed on his shoulder.

“Jamie, are you alright?” Mako asked, a slight concern to his tone, he had rushed over as soon as he had realized what was happening.

               Jamie looked up, now snapped back to a somewhat collected state as he looked into the blue eyes gazing down at him.

“Umm, ya, I think so…” he answered before once again remembering there were other people here.

“Is everyone else ok?” He asked the rest of the bar patrons         

               He glanced around the room and people nodded at him, they were all visibly a little shaken but otherwise fine and Jamie sighed in relief, but it was quickly followed by an angry growl that hopefully no one heard. This was getting ridiculous. If they were going to continue attacking him, fine but why did these people have to end up involved. They didn’t deserve this. He may, but they sure as hell didn’t. Maybe he should just let Mayhem win, close and never open again, at least that way he couldn’t hurt anyone any more, but people would end up hurt because of him if he did that too. He had employees that counted on this place for income. He had people depending on him that he had already let down one too many times. He was in a lose, lose situation. Maybe he could just hang a sign on the door that said, “Enter at your own risk”.

               Jamie, lost in his thoughts had stepped away from the glass and stepped toward the closet to get the broom, but was stopped by that large hand once again.

“Jamie, you’re bleeding.” Mako said pointing to his cheek.

               He was? Jamie hadn’t felt anything, but he was so enveloped in controlling his temper, it was entirely a possibility and sure enough when he reached his fingers to his cheek it felt wet. A small shard must have caught him just right. He pulled his fingers away from the cut and stared at the thick red liquid that now coated his fingertips. The sight of blood never failed to make him a little twitchy. It brought back memories of his past filled him with adrenaline, pain and so many other things he would rather forget ever happened.

“Huh. So I am.” Jamie answered, somewhat in a daze.

“Come here.” Mako spoke soft and led them over to the small sink behind the bar.

               Mako pulled a napkin from the counter and ran it under the tap, letting it soak in the cool water before ringing it out and gently placing the damp paper on the blonds cut. Jamie winced and looked up at Mako who didn’t meet his gaze. He was watching his actions carefully as to not aggravate the cut and cause it to bleed more.

“You don’t have to do this, I’m a big boy. I can patch myself up.” Jamie finally spoke up.

He let a tiny smile crawl onto his lips and let out an equally tiny laugh as the feeling of the bigger man caring for him began calming his buzzing brain and ease away the anger that had been welling in his gut. Mako only grunted as he continued to wipe away the blood.

“Besides, only employees are allowed behind the bar, does this mean you’re taking my job offer? You can be my security guard and my on-duty nurse!” Jamie laughed a little louder at his own joke.

“No, I’m still retired, and it will stay that way. Besides you said it yourself, you are a big boy, I think you can handle a broken window.” With that, Mako finished wiping the cut and released Jamie’s shoulder he had been holding onto the entire time.

Jamie was still mad at this whole situation and still honestly felt like he could explode at any minute but the longer he looked at Mako the less likely he felt that would happen. Something about his presence brought him a little peace of mind. He wasn’t sure what it was, but even if he didn’t accept the job he still felt somewhat safer when he was around. He smiled up at Mako before moving away and toward the office to grab some things.

“So, you wanna help me fix another window?” he asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! make sure to bookmark if you wanna stay with this story! also maybe join the 18+ Roadrat discord im part of! you can hit me up and we can chit chat about these amazing trash boys! I never get tired of talking about the sidewalk swine and rubbish rodent!!  
> https://discord.gg/PDbgXmF


	3. HIATUS NOTICE

Heyo! So this is late but this fic is gonna be on a temp hiatus if anyone cares.... its been one hell of a fucking new year and I am in the midst of my entire life falling to shambles around me. When things calm down and i get settled ill pick it back up but all of my creative endevours have come to a screeching hault for the time being.    
Dont give up on me though....

Sorry

**Author's Note:**

> Heya again!! Thank you for reading! Stay tuned! This rides gonna be fun!! Also come check out this amazing Roadrat discord imma part of! Cone say hi and freakout over these boys! It is 18+ so no youths please! okay I got it
> 
> {Roadrat discord}


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